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GPHF NEWS I / 2000
Setting-out for the New Millennium with Trend-Setting Projects
GPHF Board Defining Focuses for Future Projects / New Co-operation with the World Health Organisation Intended
Last December, during one of its regular meetings, the Board of the GPHF defined the focal points for its future
projects. According to the "GPHF Strategy 2000+" motto, the organisation's activity will continue to concentrate on specific projects aiming at the improvement of preventive health care in developing
countries. In future, however, particular importance will be attached to projects that make use of the specific know-how of the research-based pharmaceutical industry with a view to improving the medical and pharmaceutical health care in developing
countries.
"We hope that, as a result of this decision, we will be in a position to use our
members' donations even more competently and effectively for the benefit of the people living in the developing
countries", Dr Gabriele Küsters, Chair of the GPHF, summarises the objectives of the future GPHF
projects. "Our approach consisting of the promotion of projects that have a pilot
character, and whose results may be transferred to other regions which have similar health problems has proved very successful in the
past. If we manage to even better integrate our members' immense and valuable know-how into our
projects, we may be still more successful."
As an illustration of this, the GPHF does not only quote the implementation of this approach by the development of the
GPHF-Minilab® (please also refer to the article on page 3) but also by the pilot project for diagnosing iodine deficiency disorders in Indonesia implemented over the past two years in close co-operation with the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders
(ICCIDD) and Merck KGaA. "This is exactly the kind of co-operation we hope for in the
future: a competent international partner, our members' know-how, and the GPHF as the catalyst for the implementation of a successful project for the benefit of the greatest possible number of people", Dr. Küsters
explains.
In defining its new strategic orientation, the GPHF also aims at intensifying its long-standing and successful co-operation with the World Health Organisation. In this
respect, a new draft project submitted by the GPHF concerning "Health Systems" has reached an advanced planning
stage. This project has been conceived as a pilot project and is to be implemented within the next few
weeks.
Numerous Drug Donations for the Victims of the Earthquake in Turkey
Generous Donation of Pharmacia & Upjohn / GPHF Signatory of the Drug Donation Guidelines of the World Health Organisation
Following the earthquake in Turkey last year, numerous GPHF members have donated drugs badly needed by the victims of this natural
disaster, or have provided financial assistance. The GPHF, too, was involved once
again, distributing a considerable volume of drugs donated by its members among relief organisations working on
site, thus making a sizeable contribution for alleviating the greatest
distress. In addition, Pharmacia & Upjohn GmbH (Erlangen), on of the GPHF
members, very quickly provided the GPHF with a large sum for the purpose of restoring the health system in the region of Turkey that was so badly hit by the
earthquake. Representing the GPHF and its members, GPHF board member Bernd Maehliss (Schering AG) was provided with the opportunity to present to the German public - on the occasion of a collection gala of Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen - the humanitarian commitment of the research-based pharmaceutical companies and of the GPHF for the victims of the Turkish
earthquake.
GPHF Drug Donations Project
Having assumed, in 1999, the co-ordination and distribution of its members' drug donations to relief organisations working for both the people afflicted in Kosovo and in
Turkey, the GPHF has since completed the planning process for its long-term commitment in this
field. Following two round-table conferences held with company representatives and relief
organisations, a concrete project schedule has been passed by the GPHF
board. In addition to the distribution of drug donations in emergencies, this schedule more specifically defines the closer exchange of experience between and the provision of up-to-date information materials to the GPHF
members.
GPHF Signs Guidelines
Among numerous other international relief organisations, the GPHF, too, has signalled its willingness to sign the Drug Donation Guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation. In a letter addressed to the Geneva-based World Health Organisation, the GPHF declared that it considers these new directives as an important cross-border instrument for the prevention of unwanted or even harmful drug donations for crisis-stricken
regions.
Drug Donations Website
The integral text of these Guidelines can be downloaded from the highly instructional Website
www.drugdonations.org. In
addition, this Website, available in seven languages, contains a host of valuable information and additional references concerning the drug donation
issue.
Drug Management Manual of the GPHF Being Revised
The GPHF manual entitled "Management of Drug Purchasing, Storage and Distribution" is currently being revised prior to
reprinting. This brochure comprising approximately 50 pages which has been specifically developed for being used in developing countries was distributed over the past few years to innumerable organisations
world-wide. The updated version of this manual is likely to be available in the autumn of 2000. Until
then, copies of the current version are available on request, free of
charge, from the GPHF office.
GPHF-Minilab® Integrated in Roll-Back Malaria Project
Presentation to Tropical Surgeons and Bundestag Members / GPHF Preparing a Videotape
The GPHF-Minilab®, specifically developed for identifying counterfeited and substandard drug
products, is now also used within the Roll-Back Malaria Programme implemented by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in
Africa. The Minilab is used to test the quality of the malaria drugs offered on
site. This quality survey scheduled to begin in early 2000 is to cover
Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. At the end of 1999, representatives of these countries were trained by Dr Richard
Jähnke, the GPHF project manager, in the use of the Minilab. The first results of this survey are expected to be available by the autumn of this
year. There are quite a number of Minilabs now in use world-wide. By integrating the Minilab in one of the most important programmes set up be the World Health Organisation, the GHPF hopes for the even more widespread use of these simple and reliable test
methods.
Keen interest in the Minilab was also apparent at an international symposium organised by 'Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tropenchirurgie' (German Society for Tropical
Surgery) in November in Jena. In the presence of an international audience, Dr Jähnke demonstrated how easy the test is to
perform, and how reliable its results are. Last September, several Bundestag members from the 'Ausschuss für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit'
(Committee for Industrial Co-operation) were also able to see for themselves how effective this method is. Accepting an invitation from the 'Arbeitskreis für medizinische Entwicklungshilfe'
(AKME, Working Group for Medical Development Aid), they declared the
GPHF-Minilab® an encouraging example of a cost-effective and efficient aid for
development. In order to illustrate this visually, the GPHF is currently producing a
videotape. With the first trials of these test methods in 1998 in Africa serving as the
backdrop, the Minilab will be shown in this videotape as being a simple and easy-to-use instrument for improving the quality of drugs in developing
countries.
The fact that drugs have been subject to unauthorised reproduction has recently been documented by Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung. In its latest supplement titled
"History of Pharmaceutics", it reports on the drugs of a renowned German manufacturer which even in the twenties were a popular subject of
counterfeiters. Counterfeited packaging materials, labels and contents as well as unscrupulous profiteers are therefore anything but
new.
Experts Discussing on Health Sponsoring
The focal point of a symposium in Berlin scheduled by the 'Stiftung Immunität und Umwelt'
(Immunity and Environment Foundation) for May 2000 will be the so-called Health Sponsoring. Development aid projects funded by private finance initiatives are increasingly gaining in
importance. The perspectives for health projects resulting from this development will be discussed by international
experts.
Additional Donation for GPHF Projects
On this occasion, the GPHF would like to thank ASTA Medica AG (Frankfurt am Main) for its generous donation for supporting its
projects.
"Check out for Children" - Even Small Contributions Can Be a Great Help
by Dr Hilmar Kienzl, Executive Board Member of the GPHF
It is common knowledge that the simplest ideas are often the most
effective. However, for being successful, they invariably need an intellectual
leader, courage, the willingness to find fellow combatants, and a powerful
organisation. Some years ago, Robert Scott had such an inspiration. Today, you may well compare this manager of the Starwood hotel chain operating more than 700 Sheraton and Western hotels world-wide with Robin Hood. He,
too, takes money from the wealthy to give it to the poor. There is,
however, one fundamental difference: in our case, the wealthy pay their contribution on a voluntary basis - by rounding up their hotel invoice by one US dollar which is directly donated to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
Since the end of 1995, his hotel guests have donated thus 300,000 US dollars to UNICEF. With these
funds, more than 200,000 children in the poorest African countries have been vaccinated against the five most life-threatening infectious
diseases, i.e. polio, diphtheria, tetanus, tuberculosis and measles. Robert Scott and his hotel guests have given those children the most wonderful present imaginable - a vaccination which - in particular in Africa - can decide whether that child will live or die.
This exemplary initiative is called "Check out for Children". It heightens awareness among hotel guests who in most cases experience the harsh reality of the non-privileged in
Africa, Asia or Latin America only from inside their frequently air-conditioned
taxis, of how a small contribution can be a big help.
Last year, the Starwood Hotel Group provided the opportunity to see, together with Robert Scott and some representatives of UNICEF, in Tanzania how the donations are
used. A particularly impressive aspect of this visit was the professional attitude of the UNICEF representative who has been contributing the expertise of decades in development aid work to these vaccination
programmes. For instance, this delegation paid a visit to rural village centres which can be reached only along dusty
tracks. Young mothers put on their most festive apparel before walking several miles to take part in
vaccination, weighing and nutritional advice activities regularly organised by local
nurses. At the same time, advice is given regarding birth control and the prevention of AIDS. The sound of babies crying was no different from that in paediatric surgeries of European
countries, except for the fact that the spring balance for weighing them was attached to the strong branch of a
tree. However, the UNICEF vaccination campaign for children whose parents are not in a position to pay the 15 US dollars required for the vaccines also extends to urban areas - such as on the offshore Zanzibar Island.
An information video on "Check out for Children" illustrating the Tanzania example is now shown in all Starwood hotels as the welcome
videotape.
Incidentally, we and our children can also directly benefit from this vaccination initiative when the almost tangible objective of the World Health Organisation, i.e. the world-wide extermination of the polio
virus, is achieved and poliomyelitis is no longer a threat to us. This objective has already been achieved in the case of the smallpox virus that has been eradicated from the face of the earth as a result of vaccination
programmes.
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